Something Like A Romance
by avolare
Summary: AU/RaAk. After a chance meeting with Ranma Saotome, Akane decides that he is one of the most despicable men she has ever met! Ranma concludes that Akane is a crazy woman "always on the rag." Little do they know what their parents have in store for them...
1. First Impressions

**Disclaimer**: If I was Takahashi-sama, I would be demanding that producers take up Ranma ½ for one more season!

"The only abnormality is the incapacity to love." – Anais Nin

_Something Like A Romance_

**1: First Impressions**

Akane Tendo anxiously ran a hand through her long, dark tresses as she watched the numbers above the elevator door light up from floor to floor. She was running late, which was unlike her, but an unpleasant phone call from her father kept her at her at her place much later than she had anticipated. Before she knew it, she was running out of her apartment building and hailing a taxi, barefoot, with her black heels and purse in one hand. The elevator doors finally opened with a sharp "ding" and Akane quickly stepped out and made a swift turn to her right, following the familiar steps to her friends' apartment.

When Akane arrived at the apartment door, she was welcomed in by Yuka, a young woman with auburn hair that fell just below her shoulders.

"Akane-chan!" Yuka welcomed her excitedly, gesturing the Tendo to come into the apartment. "You're finally here!"

Akane offered her friend an apologetic smile. "Y-yeah, sorry! I had some family issues…"

Yuka shook her head. "Say no more! Sayuri-chan is still dressing, can you believe it?"

"Really?" Akane said, taken aback. "Shouldn't we be leaving for the Gallery right about now?"

Yuka opened her mouth to answer, but Sayuri poked her head out her bedroom door and said matter-of-factly, "Actually, we should have left about half an hour ago… But the boyfriend can wait another thirty minutes." With a wink, Sayuri retreated back to her room.

"She's intent on being fashionably late for Daisuke-san's opening reception of his art exhibit," Yuka explained as she and Akane took a seat on the living room couch. "Besides, I know for a fact that Hiroshi-kun is already with Daisuke-san for moral support. Ranma-san is even with them at the Gallery right now." As an afterthought, Yuka added, "I guess he's a better friend than I thought."

Although the name sounded strangely familiar to her, Akane had no idea of whom Yuka was speaking of... She asked her friend, "Who's Ranma?"

"Oh, he's a mutual friend of Hiroshi-kun and Daisuke-san's. I've only met him once or twice because he travels and works a lot. Maybe you've heard of him? He's Ranma Saotome, that famous martial artist?"

"His name does ring a bell... My dad might have mentioned him to me once because he watches the tournaments," Akane said.

Yuka nodded. "From what Hiroshi-kun tells me, Ranma-san has won different competitions all over the world, including Japan's National Martial Arts Tournament, but I think last year was the first time that he had won the international Martial Arts Tournament held in China."

Akane was impressed. "Wow! It must be a lot of pressure for him to have that title."

Yuka shrugged. "Maybe. Now that you mention it, _Gents HQ_ did a feature on Ranma Saotome this past month because the National Japanese Martial Arts Tournament is coming up soon. I think I might have the magazine somewhere here…" Yuka bent towards the left of her and began to rummage through the magazine basket located beside the couch.

"You subscribe to _Gents HQ_?" Akane teased her friend.

"Just to ogle pictures of hot men," Yuka quipped, causing Akane to laugh.

Meanwhile, Sayuri finally finished dressing and emerged from her bedroom. She had tied up her hair into French twist; wore a black strapless sweetheart dress that fell just a few inches from her knees; and adorned herself with dangling crystal earrings and a matching bracelet.

"Sayuri-chan, you look fantastic!" Akane beamed, approaching her friend to see her earrings up close.

Sayuri glowed. "Thanks, Akane-chan… I hope Dai-kun thinks so too!"

"If he doesn't, I'll beat him up for you," Akane whispered and to that, Sayuri giggled.

"Aha! Found it!" Yuka's voice rang. The pair looked over to the young woman and caught her flipping through a glossy copy of _Gents HQ_. Yuka read aloud, "'Ranma Saotome, champion of the 2009 International Martial Arts Tournament held in China last year, has been studying the art of combat since he was a child under the tutelage of his father, Genma Saotome, on journeys all over Asia. This year, Saotome prepares himself in for Japan's National Martial Arts Tournament (J-NMAT), which will be held in late April, with expectations to win his fifth J-NMAT trophy in 2010.'"

"Fifth?" Akane echoed in astonishment.

"Yeah, and listen to this!" Yuka continued, "'When asked if he had any doubts about winning this year, Ranma Saotome replied, "No one stands a chance against me. My opponents can try to beat me in the ring, but they're gonna fail – they always do. 'Cause not only am I faster and stronger than the rest, I use my head when I fight. That's what makes a good fighter: strategy backed up with tip-top skills.'"

That part of the article failed to impress Akane. True to her personality, Akane at once voiced her opinion. "He sounds like an arrogant, self-obsessed prick. Hasn't he ever heard of humility and modesty?"

"Wait till you meet him tonight," Sayuri remarked, ambiguously, grabbing her coat and bag. "Who knows, you might end up with a crush!"

"As if, Sayuri-chan!"

* * *

When the trio arrived at the Nerima Art Gallery, Daisuke Sato, who seemed to be watching the entrance for signs of his girlfriend, immediately caught sight of Sayuri amidst the crowd of visitors and made his way towards her and her friends.

"I'm glad my girlfriend finally showed up for my opening night," said Daisuke once he reached the group. Sayuri threw him a coy smile as he leaned in to kiss her cheek. To Akane and Yuka, he greeted, "Hello, Akane-san and Yuka-san. It's cool that both of you dropped by tonight."

"No problem, Daisuke-san!" assured Akane. "Thank you for inviting us. I can't wait to take a closer look at your exhibition."

"Yeah, congratulations on your success," Yuka added, warmly.

Daisuke beamed. "Thanks, I appreciate it! I'll have to steal Sayuri away from you, though." He glanced at Sayuri, clarifying, "Sayuri-chan, there are some people I'd like for you to meet."

"Yes, of course," Sayuri conceded, taking the arm of her boyfriend. To her friends, she said, "You two should find Hiroshi-san and Ranma-san. We'll catch up later!"

Yuka was already scanning the room for Hiroshi as Sayuri and Daisuke separated from her and Akane. "Hm, I wonder where Hiroshi-kun might be - ah!"

From behind Yuka, a curly-haired Hiroshi chuckled. "Looking for someone, Yuka-chan?"

Yuka turned around to face her boyfriend, scolding him lightly, "Don't startle me like that!" She then noticed the man standing behind Hiroshi, the dark-haired pigtailed martial artist friend of Hiroshi and Daisuke. "Hello, Ranma-san! It's nice to see you again."

"Yeah, same," Ranma replied. "I've been busy training and all."

"So I've heard," Yuka said, giving Akane a pointed look. "Hiroshi-kun, you remember Akane-chan, right?" Hiroshi answered affirmatively, throwing Akane a smile of recognition. "Ranma-san, this is my childhood friend, Akane Tendo. Akane-chan, this is Ranma Saotome."

Despite Akane's less-than flattering impression of the martial artist from the magazine article, she decided to give the man the benefit of a doubt. Perhaps this Ranma was a better person than the writer depicted him to be… She held out her hand to him and offered him a small smile. "Nice to meet you, Saotome-san."

"Y-yeah," stuttered Ranma, taking the offered hand in a brief handshake. Akane gazed at him curiously; despite being famous and his success, Ranma Saotome seemed to be a bit socially awkward.

"Akane-chan," Yuka cut in. "Hiroshi and I are going to grab ourselves from drinks. Do you or Ranma-san want anything?"

Both Akane and Ranma shook their heads. "No thanks," they answered simultaneously.

"Alright," Hiroshi said, already grasping his girlfriend's hand. "We'll be right back, then."

Once the couple left, Akane thought Ranma looked even more uncomfortable after his friend's departure. "So, um," Akane started, trying to ease the tension, "have you been here long?"

Ranma turned his eyes to Akane and the Tendo nearly blushed from at last noticing the intensity of blue his eyes possessed. "Sorta… I came with Daisuke and Hiroshi when nobody was even here yet." Ranma raised his thumb to gesture towards the man of the hour, who was standing beside a happy looking Sayuri and chatting among some distinguished gallery guests and the owners. "Daisuke was so jumpy earlier – but he looks like he's calmed down since his girl showed up."

"Ah," murmured Akane, feeling guilty that she and the girls took some extra time to read that magazine interview. "How do you know Daisuke-san?"

Ranma raised a brow. "You sure are curious."

Akane flushed, indignant. "I'm just trying to make conversation."

"Oh… Well, uh, I was roommates with Daisuke in college and Hiroshi was roomin' with my best friend, so that's really how we all ended up knowing each other." In an effort to keep the conversation going, Ranma then asked, "How do you know Daisuke and Hiroshi?"

Recognizing his sincere attempt, Akane decided to brush off his previous offending comment. She replied, "Just through Sayuri-chan and Yuka-chan. You must be really happy for Daisuke-san's success, ne? I actually never really saw any of his work," admitted Akane. "Not even the cartoons he submitted for the _Nerima Inquirer_."

"Oh, yeah? Well, I ain't an art expert or nothin' but Daisuke's work is pretty cool. I mean, I might've never paid attention to his stuff if I hadn't roomed with him, but seriously – " Ranma stopped mid-sentence, as though he had come up with a better idea than trying to articulate his friend's genius. "Lemme show you a favorite of mine from Daisuke's stuff. You hafta see it for yourself to get what I mean…"

"Sure, okay," Akane agreed. With a small, satisfied smile, Ranma led her to the opposite end of the exhibition hall.

* * *

The piece was entitled "Mortal." It depicted a man, not quite young but not yet middle-aged or old, laid down on white bed and he was covered in bruises and bandages with medical tubes stemming from parts of his body. Although the man's face was contorted with pain and weariness, his brown eyes remained wide open, gazing tenderly and appreciatively at a faceless woman who sat at his bedside. Her hand seemed to brush aside the hair of the fallen man, a gesture to comfort and done out of love. Sunlight peeked through the hospital blinds, streaking light upon the man and woman.

When Ranma and Akane stopped before this work of art, silence fell upon them. For Akane, the image evoked heartrending memories tucked away from another time in life. She closed her eyes, exhaling the breath that had been caught in her throat, willing herself not to cry at the recollections.

While Akane feasted on the artwork with new eyes, Ranma appeared to be reacquainting himself with the image. He was the first to break the silence between them, confessing, "Every time I see this picture, it reminds me that no one is invincible, not even me - as much as I hate to say it."

This caused Akane to open her eyes and face the young martial artist beside her. He was still looking at the painting. She marveled at his honesty and she could hardly believe that the young man standing right next to her was the same one whom she had admonished from the magazine barely an hour ago.

Ranma scoffed to himself. "Oi, but don't tell my Pops you heard me say that… He'd never let me live it down! Neither would any of the guys I fight." He turned to meet the gaze of Akane Tendo, who was looking up at him with a smile on her face. "What?" he said, wondering why she would be smiling at him like that?

She merely shook her head and said softly, "Nothing."

It was then he realized how much he had opened himself up to this lady, this complete stranger! Why had he done that? She was no one special… Ranma took a moment to examine the woman before him: Akane Tendo was a little shorter than him, with a fair complexion, long dark-blue hair and chocolate brown eyes. She had on a royal blue dress with a black sash tied around her waist and sensible heels on her feet. The only jewelry and make-up she wore was a pair of small ruby earrings and some eyeliner. She was simple ("down to earth," his twin sister would say) and kinda cute. Friendly, too.

"It sounds like you get a lot of pressure from your dad," Akane remarked. "My dad pressures me a lot too, but only to find myself a boyfriend and settle down. It's so sexist!"

"You don't think guys don't get pressured by their parents to find a girl too?" stated Ranma, thinking about his father and mother hounding about finding a "steady girlfriend."

Akane considered this. "Hm, I never thought about it… Does your dad pressure you to get married soon?" Akane tilted her head and pondered aloud, "In that case, our parents should never meet. Knowing my dad, he would try to arrange a marriage between our families, even though we barely know each other."

"And knowing my Pops," Ranma began, "he'd probably agree right away! The dolt."

Akane's face broke into a laughing grin, her face aglow with her amusement over their silly fathers. Ranma smiled too, finding himself to be quietly enjoying the warmth of this stranger's smile. At that moment, he had changed his mind about her: Akane Tendon was not cute, she was beautiful.

* * *

Daisuke Sato's exhibition was a great success and he had even made sales for his original work at his opening night. By the time he, Sayuri, his two best friends, Yuka and Akane had left the Gallery and was done sharing celebratory drinks at a nearby wine bar, he felt sure that he was on top of the world… But there was one more thing he needed to do before the night was over.

None of the friends were quite ready to turn in for the night after the bar, so the six of them found their way to the courtyard in front of the Nerima Opera Theater, where they sat along the ethereally-lit water fountain. Akane and Yuka took off their shoes and soaked their feet in the water.

After fifteen minutes or so had passed since the group arrived at the fountain, Daisuke suddenly cleared his throat and, with his face as red a tomato, he bent down on one knee in front of Sayuri, a tiny, velvet box in his hand. Both Sayuri and Yuka gasped at the sight and while Akane remained quiet, her dark eyebrows were raised as she turned to watch the couple. To the left of her, Hiroshi looked unsurprised at the sudden proposal and Ranma stared unimpressed at the whole scene.

"Yes!" Sayuri nearly shouted, lunging forward to hug her new fiancé. They toppled on the floor, but Sayuri was too happy to even complain. "Yes, Dai-kun!" she murmured again.

* * *

After Daisuke's proposal, it was understood that the happy couple wanted some time alone to properly celebrate _all _the wonderful things that transpired that night. Daisuke with Sayuri and Hiroshi with Yuka took separate cabs home, while Ranma agreed to walk Akane to her apartment building.

"You don't have to walk me home, you know," Akane assured him. "It's a safe neighborhood; I'll be okay."

"Don't worry yourself. Your place looks like it's on the way from mine so it ain't no trouble to drop you home," Ranma told her with a tone of finality.

Akane was satisfied with this answer and said no more about it. "That was a crazy ending to the night, huh? With Daisuke-san proposing to Sayuri-chan." She giggled. "To be honest, I didn't think he had it in him."

"Yep, 'crazy' would be the word for it…" Ranma muttered, cynically.

Having not grasped his sarcasm, Akane went on to say, "Sayuri-chan will probably ask me to coordinate her wedding. At least, I hope she does… I'd be really happy to do it for a good friend like her!"

"Wait," Ranma said, eyeing Akane. "Don't tell me you're actually happy for them? And you're a wedding planner?"

Akane looked at him with one eyebrow raised. "Yes, of course I'm happy for them… And so what if I am a wedding planner? Is there something wrong with that?"

"I thought you were against the whole marriage thing. It sounds a little hypocritical to be a wedding planner and not wanna marry, if ya ask me," Ranma told her, plainly.

Akane flushed for the second time that night, feeling absolutely insulted. She turned away from Ranma, quickening her pace to walk ahead of him. "First of all, I said I didn't like my father_ pressuring _me to date and marry right away when I'm not ready! And secondly, I never said I was against marriage – you came up with that idea on your own – so you have no right to call me a hypocrite!"

"Oi, don't get so hot-headed," Ranma called out to her, jogging up beside her. "Geez, I was just sayin'…" Akane ignored him and kept walking straight ahead towards her block. Ranma, however, wasn't done speaking out his mind. "And you know what? I can't say I like wedding planners 'cos they help seal the deal that ties up two people for the rest of their lives, two people who will drive each other nuts every day of every year until their dying day! I would hate to be in Daisuke's shoes right now."

Akane could not help but clench her fists. Normally, she was a little better keeping her temper in check, especially with people she didn't know too well, but this Ranma infuriated her! "Oh, I get it," spat Akane. "You're a rover."

"A what?" Ranma blurted, genuinely confused.

"A playboy!" Akane clarified. "A womanizer! A Casanova!"

"Wait a minute, I never said tha – " Ranma tried to argue.

"Only a polygamous pervert thinks that way about marriage," Akane declared. "Perverts, and people who are scared of love. If you aren't a playboy, then you must definitely be a coward."

"Hey, I'm no coward!" Ranma nearly yelled, taking a step closer to Akane.

"Then, you're a rover, then," Akane said, with all the confidence in the world. They had just arrived at the entrance of her apartment building. By now, she was more than ready to leave the company of one Ranma Saotome.

"I'm not that, either!" exclaimed Ranma, but Akane didn't even glance back. "Would ya listen to me, you – you – y-you're so uncute!"

This time, Akane did turn around, her eyes staring coldly at Ranma. "If that's what you think, then you can leave now. Good night and good riddance, Ranma Saotome!" With that, she turned and stalked into her building, hoping to never meet with the insufferable man again and leaving Ranma feeling angry, confused, and somehow, rejected.

-_**tbc**_-

**Author's Notes**: Reviews are of course appreciated!


	2. Much Ado About Marriage

**Author's Notes**: I forgot to mention in the first chapter where I got the idea for Ranma's "favorite piece," the one entitled "Mortal." A most talented artist on deviantart drew this profound work of fanart: .com/art/Not-Immortal-59724449?q=1&qo=1. Thanks for inspiration!

A special thanks to my first reviewers listed below! Your feedback and encouragement was most appreciated and so, I hope these next few chapters don't disappoint any of you!

**XxkanaxX****, ****Ranma711****, ****SukiPwns****, ****chesnutsy****, ****Veruska****, ****jdcocoagirl****, James Birdsong, and ****Shadowalker666****.**

To answer your question, SukiPwns, yes, supporting characters from the original Ranma ½ will indeed be featured in this fanfiction. Wait and see!

**Disclaimer**: If I was Takahashi-sama, I would be demanding that producers take up Ranma ½ for one more season!

"Chance encounters are what keep us going." – Haruki Murakami (_Kafka On the Shore_)

_Something Like A Romance_

**2: Much Ado About Marriage**

During the last weekend of each month, Akane and Nabiki made a point to try and visit their father, who lived with the eldest sister, Kasumi, and her husband, Dr. Tofu, in the northern part of town. Nabiki wouldn't be there this weekend, though, because she and her husband, Tatewaki Kuno, were still on their month-long honeymoon, travelling across the globe. On this Saturday morning, Akane felt ashamed of her reluctance to go and visit her father. Their argument on the phone just days before made her dread speaking to him again, for she knew there would be only one thing on his mind: to find a potential husband for his little girl.

_'But I'm not a little girl, anymore_,' Akane thought as she stepped off the cross-town bus. As she walked the familiar route towards her childhood home, she tightly gripped the handle of her overnight bag, sensing her irritation creeping up her spine. In her opinion, her father had no business worrying about her love life. She was only twenty-four years old and yet here he was, insisting that she be mindful of "becoming a spinster." Honestly!

So preoccupied was Akane with these thoughts, she barely noticed the large black and white figure approaching her on the sidewalk. She nearly collided with a giant panda carrying groceries but had, in time, glanced up from a loud, grumbling noise (possibly from the panda's stomach) and moved out of its way.

"Wow," Akane whispered aloud to herself, as she looked back to stare at the panda's retreating figure. "You don't see that in Nerima every day!"

* * *

Although it had been years since Akane lived at home with her father, she still kept a copy of the house keys with her at all times. So, she let herself in and, upon entering the old house, nostalgically called out, "I'm home!"

No sooner had Akane announced this, a very pregnant Kasumi appeared from out of the kitchen. Her usual serene smile adorned her face as she greeted her youngest sibling. "Welcome home, Akane-chan!" Akane hastily dropped her things and slipped off her shoes to embrace her sister.

"How have you been feeling, Sister?" asked Akane as she peered below at Kasumi's swollen belly. "Has my little nephew been good?"

Kasumi rubbed her belly as she told Akane, "I haven't felt much different since our last phone call… Don't worry, Akane-chan, the baby and I have been in very good spirits! However," began Kasumi, dropping the volume of her voice to express the weightiness of what she was about to say, "I can't say our Father has been in a good mood lately." She placed a gentle hand on Akane and offered an encouraging smile. "I'm glad that you're home, Akane-can… You were always able to cheer up Father when he was depressed, even when we were young!

"I'll bring your bag upstairs to your old room," continued Kasumi. "I believe Father's out in back porch. When you're done, could you come to the kitchen and help with some dishes?"

"Of course!" Akane said. "Thank you, Sis."

Akane walked into the living room (which also served as the dining room) and found that the screens were parted, letting the fresh, late summer waft into the room. Her father sat cross-legged on the patio in his favorite olive-colored gi and was facing the blue sky and their koi pond. At the sight of her meditating father, Akane's anger slowly dissipated.

"Dad," she called out to him, crossing the room to sit beside. Soun turned to face his daughter, his expression neutral, but a moment passed and suddenly, the patriarch burst into tears.

Inwardly, Akane sighed. The sisters had long ago accepted their father's sensitivity after their mother's death. Akane was sorry that she had been the cause of her father's distress. '_I shouldn't have yelled at him. I should have handled the situation better_,' Akane chided herself.

"Dad, I'm sorry for losing my temper when you called the other day."

"Oh, my little Akane!" cried Soun. "Never mind that now – what's important is that you finally realize that now is the time to start thinking about settling down."

Something flared inside Akane, but she did her best to calm it. "I didn't say anything like that," Akane uttered slowly, in an even voice.

With his tears now dried, Sou. regained his composure. In a stern, fatherly tone, he advised his youngest daughter, "Akane, there is something you must prepare yourself to face… I know, my dear child, that your first love was plucked prematurely from you all those years ago, but you are young and you've had time to heal. It is time now for you to start considering a future with – "

Unable to listen for another second to her father's words, Akane quickly stood up and interrupted her parent. As lightly as she could, she told him, "Kasumi asked me to help out in the kitchen, so I might cook!" At this, Soun blanched. "An upset mood while cooking might ruin the food, Dad, so let's talk about this another time, ne?"

Soun opened his mouth to protest but seemed to have thought better of it once thinking over his daughter's rationale. "Yes, tonight then," he complied.

* * *

Preparing dinner for the family was something Kasumi took great pride in and when her sisters came to visit, she took extra care into making the meal special. Tonight was no exception; with the finesse that she was known for, Kasumi prepared fresh salad, white miso soup, chicken katsu, beef teriyaki, seasoned rice, and even bought mocha ice cream for dessert.

After a quick bath, Akane came down to set up the table for supper and wondered why Kasumi made so much food for tonight. After all, Nabiki and Kuno weren't joining them this weekend…

_**Ding dong**__._

"I'll get it!" Akane announced, leaving her task. She opened the front gate, expecting to see her brother-in-law, Dr. Tofu, but instead was met face to face to with a beautiful middle-aged woman dressed in a floral kimono, a bespectacled man in a grey gi, and a young, handsome man that looked strangely like…

Akane first thought when she saw him was: '_I must be dreaming.' _Her mouth hung open as she stared in bewilderment at Ranma Saotome, who stood behind the older couple, and was carefully avoiding her gaze.

"Good evening," the woman in the kimono spoke, snapping Akane out of her thoughts.

Akane's attention shifted back to the woman before her, who bowed in greeting. She blushed, realizing she had completely forgotten her manners. She bowed too, uttering, "H-hello. M-may I help you?"

"Yes," thundered the older man beside her. He explained, "We are the Saotomes. My name is Genma Saotome and this is my wife and son Nodoka and Ranma. I'm an old friend of your father's, Soun Tendo, and he invited us for dinner tonight."

"Oh!" Akane's blushed deepened, and felt embarrassed of her ignorance. "Please, come in then!" She stepped aside, ushering them in. The couple murmured their thanks while Ranma remained mute.

Akane shut the gate doors and caught up with the pig-tailed martial artist, hissing, "What are you doing here? Are you stalking me, or something?"

Finally, Ranma locked gazes with Akane, looking very much annoyed. "Don't flatter yourself," he whispered back, harshly. "Why would I want to see an uncute brute like you, again? My parents dragged me to come to this dinner."

The group had entered the house and the Saotomes were received by Soun, who welcomed them with enthusiasm. He even shed tears as he and Genma shared a brotherly embrace.

* * *

Eventually, Dr. Tofu reached home after the visitors arrived and not long after, dinner was served. Soun and Genma were animatedly reminiscing their 'training days' together, while Nodoka, Kasumi, and Dr. Tofu were discussing Kasumi's pregnancy and the doctor's clinic. Only Ranma and Akane sat quietly as the meal began, feeling quite unsettled by each other's presence. Their fathers' friendship disturbed them; neither had hoped to ever cross paths ever again, but the closeness of their fathers' gave both of them the inkling that there would be many more forced, awkward moments just like this night to come. Ironic how they had even joked about their fathers meeting that night at the gallery...

"Saotome-kun," started Soun, placing his chopsticks down, "I think now is the time to let Ranma and Akane know of our agreement."

"What agreement?" Akane demanded, unable to shake off this feeling of dread crawling up her neck.

Meanwhile, Ranma glared suspiciously at his father. '_What has the old dope done, now?_'

The two men took a deep breath before making their announcement. Genma spoke first. "The last time Tendo-kun and I saw each other at my wedding, we made a solemn vow to each other."

"We both came to the agreement that if any of our children were unmarried or single by age twenty-five, that we would reunite and bring the families together through marriage. In other words, Ranma-kun and Akane, you are now each other's betrothed." Soun finished.

Ranma wanted to punch his father in the face.

"WHAT?" screamed Akane. "How could you have agreed to that, Dad?"

"Akane, we need an heir for the Anything Goes Martial Arts School," Soun explained, trying to reason with his daughter.

Beside him, Genma nodded. "And instead of fighting each other for the title of successor, we figured we might as well just join the schools!" The fathers patted each other on the back, as if to congratulate each other on their genius.

This time, Ranma's fist did collide with his father's head. "Didn't ya ever think, Pop, that the girl and I might hate each other at first sight? Who would wanna marry someone they can't stand?"

"My thoughts, exactly," Akane muttered, crossly.

Nodoka took this chance to contribute to the conversation. "Let's not get too ahead of ourselves. Ranma, Akane-chan… I can see how stunned and upset you are from the news of your betrothal, but you should consider your fathers' decision to bring you two together." The Saotome matriarch was self-possessed and spoke soothingly as she spoke about the situation. "I think you two should put some effort into getting to know each other before making a final decision about breaking the engagement."

"Hm… She has a point, Akane-chan," Kasumi said.

"We've already gotten to 'know each other,'" pointed out the youngest Tendo. "We met at a party a few days ago and – "

"She was totally uncute!" Ranma finished. "She's a volcano that erupts when you least expect it!"

Akane glared hatefully at the pig-tailed Saotome. "I'm a volcano, huh? Better that than a cowardly womanizer!"

Ranma gnashed his teeth. "I told ya, I ain't a playboy and I'm sure as heck not a coward, so stop with the name-calling! It's so uncute."

"And you think I care about what you think?" retorted back Akane.

Chuckling from Soun and Genma interrupted the quarrel. "Look at that, Saotome-kun, so much passion in their relationship, already!" Soun remarked to his friend.

At the opposite end of the dining table, Dr. Tofu let out a small laugh, as well. "This is a funny state of affairs," he said. "I think Nodoka-sama has the right idea about first getting to know each other. One night is hardly enough time to realize what the other person is all about." The doctor looked meaningfully at his wife and placed his palm over her hand. "You should take the time to build a deeper understanding of each other's character."

Ranma and Akane shared a brief glance from across the table. A moment of silence passed before Akane relented, "How much time?"

"Well," started Kasumi, "Your twenty-fifth birthday is coming up, Akane-chan; perhaps you two can make a decision after that occasion?"

Dr. Tofu did some quick math in his head, clarifying, "That's approximately one hundred days from today."

"I don't think I can survive a hundred days spent with her," Ranma said, flatly. He looked at Akane expectantly and was taken aback with her own response to the suggestion.

"I'll go along with that." Around her, faces changed with satisfaction or elation (except for Ranma, of course). "But," Akane emphasized, "if Ranma or I choose to end the engagement after seriously trying to be friendly with each other, we must be free to do so."

Although Soun and Genma did not look entirely sure about this arrangement, they were given no chance to voice their opinions, as Nodoka had already offered her consent. "Lovely! That sounds perfectly fair, Akane-chan!"

Nothing more of the engagement was said for the remainder of dinner, thanks to Kasumi, Nodoka, and Dr. Tofu, who strayed away from the topic. Ranma, however, did steal one or two glances at Akane, who said nothing at all afterward and merely avoided his gaze.

* * *

The next day, Akane barely spoke a word to her father. She tried making her lingering resentment unobvious by busying herself with the household chores. Since Kasumi was nearing the end of her pregnancy, there was much to be done with the upkeep of the house that might strain her and the baby. In the meantime, Kasumi took advantage of this break from domestic duties by returning to work at her florist shop, which was opened several years ago on the first floor of her husband's clinic. It had been a while since she was able to work a full eight-hour shift without worrying about going home immediately.

Akane wasn't much of a cook, so after folding the laundry, she went ahead and ordered in so that Kasumi didn't have to worry about making dinner when she got home from work. She had thought she might stay for dinner and leave right after to go back to her apartment, but a quick check at her inbox told Akane she should leave straight away to get a restful sleep tonight for tomorrow's work day. She packed her things, wrote a letter to Kasumi and Dr. Tofu and left it on the counter, and lastly, bid her father goodbye.

Imagine her surprise when she once again came face to face with the Saotomes, who seemed to have just arrived in front of the Tendo residence.

"Ah, Akane-chan!" Nodoka greeted with a cheery smile. "On your way back to the south end of Nerima, already?" Behind the middle-aged woman, Akane could see Ranma and his father caught in a heated, though quiet, argument.

"Y-yes," stuttered out Akane, still recovering from the surprise. "I have an early day tomorrow, Nodoka-sama."

Nodoka nodded. "Well, we won't keep you much longer, I promise, Akane-chan. I saw Kasumi-chan at her florist shop today and we had a most interesting conversation. We thought it might be good if my husband and I stayed at your house until the baby is born… Kasumi-chan really mustn't be juggling too many things at once in her condition, especially since I hear that she is a bit of a perfectionist sometimes."

Akane immediately brightened at the news. "That's great! I actually feel a little guilty about having to go, but now that you're staying here, Nodoka-sama, I know my big sister will be in good hands!" She bowed respectfully to both Nodoka and Genma and when she straightened, she told them, "Please make yourself at home… Kasumi-neesan and Ono-niisan aren't home yet, but my dad should be in the living room or out on the deck. If you're hungry, there is take-out left on the kitchen counter. I'm sorry I can't stay longer to help you get settled." Once more, Akane bowed, this time apologetically.

"Such a sweet girl," Genma mused. He cleared his throat, shoving his son towards Akane. "Ranma lives and trains at the other end of town and he would be more than happy to give you a ride home, isn't that right, Ranma?"

"What choice do I have?" grumbled the pig-tailed boy.

"Ranma-kun," Ranma's mother addressed him, sternly. "There was a compromise met last night at dinner and as a man among men, you must follow through with it."

At his mother's reminder, Ranma cowered. "Yes, mom…" With a sigh, he conceded, "I'll drive her home."

"That's m'boy!" exclaimed Genma, clasping his son's shoulder. Nodoka looked very pleased, as well.

As Akane observed the scene, she duly noted a new learned truth about Ranma Saotome. '_He is a mama's boy, through and through._'

* * *

When Ranma's parents disappeared into the Tendo home, Ranma and Akane had started walking in the direction of his parked car. Considering Ranma's fame and success, Akane imagined Ranma's vehicle to be a bit on the flashy side – a sports car-esque with the hood rolled down (Nabiki and Kuno had a collection of cars that fit that description). Instead, Ranma's car turned out to be a very sensible, modest, albeit slightly outdated car, with a fresh, cobalt blue paint job. Once again, Akane found herself to be surprised (and perhaps impressed) with Ranma.

"Nice car," Akane complimented as she settled into the seat beside the driver.

It was Ranma's turn to be surprised. Akane was being nice to him, again? "Er, thanks," her murmured. He turned on the engine and began to steadily move out of the park spot. "My sister and her boyfriend are both engineers at a car company, so they pretty much hooked me up with this car for free. Not bad, huh?"

"You're lucky," Akane agreed. "I wish I had a car to drive." After a moment, she giggled, thinking better of what she had said. "Then again, it might be a good thing I don't drive – I'd probably have bad road rage."

As he drove, Ranma released a hesitant laugh. '_That's probably really close to the truth_,' he thought.

"Mind if I slide down the window?" Akane then asked, politely.

"No problem," replied Ranma. His hands reached over to the car stereo, turning it on, and filling the vehicle with music just as Akane removed the glass barrier from her side of the car. Ranma relaxed as the noise from the radio occupied the silence between him and Akane. He no longer felt pressured to carry conversation with the unpredictable female who sat beside him who, at the moment, looked far too contented with staring out the window and feeling the summer breeze blow on her face.

It took a little more than twenty minutes to get to Akane's apartment complex. When Ranma stopped in front of the building, Akane wordlessly unlatched her seatbelt, grabbed her bag, and exited the car. She shut the door and peered through the open window, murmuring her thanks.

"Thanks for the ride, Ranma." She smiled. "Honestly, it was a better way to go than the bus. I wouldn't even be home yet if I took the cross-town bus!"

For some reason unexplainable, Ranma felt his cheeks heat up from Akane's notice of gratitude. "It was nothin'…" Akane turned to go, but then Ranma remembered a promise he had made to his mother and so, he called out, "Wait, Akane!"

Akane turned back around, ducking a little to see Ranma through the car window. "What is it?"

"I, uh, w-would l-like to, um," he stammered. He faked a cough, trying to take control of his tongue. "What I m-mean to say is… My mom wanted us to exchange phone numbers - ya know, so we could do the 'getting-to-know-each-other' bit."

Akane blinked. "Okay," she said, casually. "I'll take your number and then text you." Ranma wondered why she appeared completely unbothered by the whole exchange and while he felt an overwhelming amount of adrenaline rush through his veins. As soon as the pig-tailed martial artist gave Akane his contact number, he soon after received a text message, presumably from Akane's phone. He saved it on his contacts list.

"Good night, Ranma," bade Akane one last time before making her way to the building entrance.

Ranma took the wheel and slowly drove away, unable to get his mind off of the youngest Tendo daughter. He kept thinking, '_Akane can be really cute when she wants to be,_' as he recalled her smile. Maybe this one-hundred-days plan wasn't too bad, after all…

-**tbc**-

**A/N**: Please review!


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